Barnyard Boogie!

March 1, 2017
A more musical barnyard there never was!"The Barnyard Band is performing today. / All the musicians are ready to play!" Horse has a tuba, and Goat plays the sax. But Cow can only moo. "Cat bows the fiddle. ZINGA ZINGA ZEE! / Pig plays piano. PLINKA PLINKA PLEE!!" Sheep holds the trumpet with the confidence of a New Orleans jazz master, and Dog expertly manages an enormous drum set...but the cow still just moos. "The crowd is waiting to hear the show. / 'How will they start?' 'When will they go?' " Who will lead the band, asks Owl, "WHOOOO?" And then the tension's finally broken: "COW, of course! 'AND-A-ONE-AND-A-MOOOOOO!' " And thus begins a very successful barnyard concert. McCanna's simple and alliterative onomatopoeic text flows across the page in a variety of bright colors, and its brevity and unfaltering scansion suit it well to a toddler audience. Black's digitally created, colorful illustrations resemble paper cutouts decorated with chalk. The animals have a Matisse-y look to them, and the full-bleed backdrops, which merely suggest a barnyard, are as bright as the big-eyed animals. It's nothing innovative or heretofore unseen, but it is a good addition to storytimes on barnyard animals, music, or finding one's talent. (Picture book. 2-7)

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June 1, 2017

Toddler-PreS-This is a wonderful rhyming book, full of farm animals who are ready to play musical instruments and dance around the farm. All except for Cow, who isn't sure what she can do. Horse plays the tuba ("Oopa Doompa Doo!"), and Goat plays the sax ("Honka Wonka Woo!"). Cat plays the fiddle ("Zinga Zinga Zee!"), and Pig plays piano ("Plinka, Plinka Plee!"). Sheep blares the trumpet ("Blatta Blatta Blat!"), and Dog bangs the drums ("Ratta Tatta Tat!"). But who will lead this marvelous band? "And-a-One, and-A Moooooo!" It's Cow, of course! This is a fun picture book, full of color and rhyming words that young children will love. The animals are portrayed simply on brightly colored backgrounds of green, orange, blue, and red. VERDICT A great title for toddlers and preschoolers; even babies would love the funny sounds. A definite purchase for any size children's collection.-Elaine Lesh Morgan, formerly at Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2017
Simple, rhythmic text full of onomatopoeia, internal rhyme, and alliteration builds excitement as the Barnyard Band preps for a performance. One barnyard animal, however, feels left out: "But what can Cow do?" asks the plaintive refrain. Ultimately, like each of the other animals, Cow has a special role to play. Bright, energetic digital illustrations with a cut-paper look extend the festive, inclusive vibe.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)